Skooba Checkthrough laptop bag

The Skooba Checkthrough is one of a new batch of products designed to meet TSA guidelines for bags that let you zip through airport security without removing your laptop. For the most part, we like it: it's roomy, contains plenty of organizer pockets, and features a well-though-out butterfly design that gets you through airport security quickly without having to worry about leaving anything behind. In fact, the only real downside to the bag stems from its roominess; the bag itself is a little bulky, and when fully loaded it can be painful to carry it on one shoulder for long. (There is a handy strap to secure the bag to the handle of your rolling luggage, which offers some relief.) Nevertheless, we think the Skooba Checkthrough is a good pick for frequent travelers who carry lots of accessories (or even a change of clothes) with their laptops.

Though primarily designed to hold 15.4-inch laptops, the $139 Skooba Checkthrough can accommodate most 16-inch and even some slim 17-inch systems, such as the MacBook Pro. Measuring 17 inches wide, 13 inches tall, and 7.5 inches deep, the Checkthrough is slightly roomier than the Targus Zip-Through laptop bag. Like the Targus, the Skooba Checkthrough features two distinct halves: the back half is for your laptop (and nothing else), while the front half is for everything else you carry. Between the two halves sits a double zipper, which, when unzipped, splits the bag open butterfly style so it can lay flat on the X-ray machine's conveyor belt.

A double zipper on the front half of the bag opens wide to reveal a large compartment for files and cables. A thin panel in the middle divides the section in two parts and includes two mesh pockets for storing drives, cables, or other accessories. Two additional zippered mesh pockets and four fabric pockets line the inside front of the compartment, while two accordion-fold fabric flaps on the sides ensure that no small items fall out of the bag.